EVENING (& morning) SKY 
Moon, October 04 
6 Oct Last Quarter; 14 Oct New 
Moon; 21 Oct first Quarter; 28 Oct 
Full Moon 
The Sun, Earth and our Moon are 
aligned in the early morning of 
October 28 th , resulting in a total 
lunar eclipse. The almost-full moon 
rises at dusk on October 27, and the 
eclipse will last from about 2 or 3 
a.m. to just before dawn on the 28 th . 
A lunar eclipse occurs when the 
earth passes directly between the 
sun and the full moon, casting its 
shadow on the moon. The only reason 
it doesn't happen every time there 
is a full moon is because the moon's 
orbit doesn't exactly coincide with 
the ecliptic, so the earth s shadow 
just misses the moon most times. 
The event is not as dramatic as a 
solar eclipse; just look for a steady 
dimming in the brightness of the 
moon. An interesting point is that 
the earth's shadow does not produce 
a sharp edge, because the earth has 
an atmosphere, and any light passing 
the earth gets scattered. 
The moon has no atmosphere to 
speak of, which is why at other times 
the normal shadows in the lunar 
erasers are so clear - though a 
telescope this is strikingly apparent, 
one side : s as dark as midnight while 
a step away there appears to be 
blazing sunshine! Total lunar eclipses 
occur at most 3 times a year and last 
up to 100 minutes. Partial lunar 
eclipses are about as common. 
Stars. October 04 
The fiery red eye of Scorpius is 
setting in the west. On 17* h 
October, the new, crescent 
moon appears next to Antares. 
On the 18 th , the crescent moon 
is near the scorpions curving 
tail. 
When the scorpion has 
disappeared, another fiery-eyed 
giant called Taurus the Bull rises 
on the opposite horizon. 
According to the legends of 
ancient Greece, these fearsome 
mythical beasts did not get on 
well, and should they ever catch 
sight of each other who knows 
what may happen! 
The constellation Sagittarius, 
the Archer, is in a good position 
for viewing in the southwest. 
The stars of Sagittarius form a 
teapot or kettle shqpe. The 
centre of our galaxy lies is this 
direction. 
The brilliant star low in the 
northwest is Vega. Above Vega, 
high in the northwest, is the 
bright star Altair, between two 
fainter stars. The brilliant star 
low in the south-east is 
Achernar. Above it, high in the 
southern sky, is the bright star 
Fomalhaut. 
Planets, October 04 
Venus Still shines brightly in the 
morning sky before dawn. Early 
in October, the star Reguius is 
nearby. 
NATURALIST’S 
CORNER 
Pandinus sp: Found 
in most Kenyan dry 
lands 
SCORPIONS 
By Samuel M Mwangi 
email sammurache@yahoo.com 
Scorpions are venomous 
arachnids (the same class as 
spiders, ticks and mites). They 
are often found in dry areas but 
also in many forests. The young 
are born alive and are carried by 
their mothers on the back, where 
they remain for a period of at 
least 2 weeks after birth. 
Depending on the species, the 
gestation period ranges from 
several months to 1.5 yrs. While 
in the female ovariuterus, the 
embryo obtains nutrients from 
their mother's digestive gland. A 
female gives birth to 25-35 
juveniles. The mother makes a 
birth basket with her folded legs 
to catch them after birth and 
provide them with a means to 
climb to her back. 
Over 1300 species ot scorpions 
have been described. Some 
species live up to 15 yrs, but most 
live 3-5 yrs. Scorpions have.an 
elongate body with q long 
segmented tail, with a sting on 
the tip. The sting is venomous and 
the toxicity varies from species 
to species. Scorpions hunt at 
night and hide under rocks, in the 
bark of trees, under dead logs or 
in burrows during the day. They 
feed on a variety of small insects, 
spiders, centipedes as well as 
other scorpions. 
Scorpions locate their prey by 
sensing vibrations with sensory 
hairs and other organs. Scorpion 
venom contains neurotoxins, 
toxins that affect the nervous 
system. Scorpions use toxins for 
subduing their prey and for their 
own defense. Their toxin can 
result in heart or respiratory 
failure in humans within hours 
after the sting, depending on the 
species. However, the stings of 
most species are painful, but not 
deadly 
IF YOU GET STUNG BY A 
SCORPION... 
The world's most poisonous 
scorpions live in North Africa, 
S. America, India, Mexico and 
the Middle East. Most African 
scorpions are not considered 
dangerous to humans. The 
world's largest scorpion reaches 
a length of over 20cm and comes 
from South Africa Hadogenes 
troglodytes. In Kenya, members 
of the genera Pandinus and 
Parabuthus are the largest, 
reaching a length of 12cm. 
Scorpions can inflict a very 
pa inf ul Sting, which is 
accompanied by a local swelling. 
The pain may cause shock, which 
varies in severity depending on 
the victim. 
Symptoms of a reaction to a 
scorpion sting include shallow 
respiration, weak and rapid pulse 
rate, abnormal body 
temperature, cold sweats and 
may look pale. In the rare case 
that the symptoms are severe, 
get the person to a doctor and 
administer first aid, which 
includes immobilizing the victim. 
The head should be kept low by 
raising the feet. A warm drink 
like coffee or tea may be given 
to act as a stimulant. Depending 
on the severity of the symptoms, 
artificial respiration may be 
administered. The victim should 
be taken to hospital as quickly 
as possible. Supply the doctor 
with all the necessary 
information regarding the 
incident. The scorpion that 
inflicted the sting should be 
captured, if possible, for 
identification. This may aid in 
the diagnosis and treatment. 
